Hello again, Glenn....

I had Neurotalk open on my computer all day, so I didn't realize that you had posted again until after I did.

I really like your letter and I think it was an excellent idea to write one. What you write will be added to your record. If your care is transferred to another doctor or ever reviewed (by insurance or a lawyer) you know that your complaints will be in there.

I would add more about the impact of this increased pain, ie......you have not been able to attend church for the last 8 weeks, are not able to bathe daily, or any other quantifyable information like that. What was your lowest/highest/and average daily pain levels while on the meds vs what is it now without the meds. Pain is in it's nature subjective. If your blood pressure went from 110/60 to 220/160, a doctor would be negligent to ignore it. You don't want to let them get away with writing "Patient continues to complain of some neck pain, which is baseline." Although all complaints of pain are still technically subjective, make sure they are aware of any measurable descriptions that you can give. The weakness and numbness when standing is good to add here.

I would probably, if it were me, eliminate or condense some of the Lyme disease stuff. Specifically.....likening the pain to cancer pain, could possibly come off as dramatizing your complaints. If "10" is the worst pain imaginable, rate yours as where it stands on the scale of 1-10. I too have severe neck pain. My dad is (thankfully) a colon cancer survivor. Aside from short term post op pain, he did not feel pain as part of his disease. Pain is what is perceived in the brain's of it's victims. Whether it was caused by a disc or tumor should not matter in ethical care. Now, if only we could get the docs to treat us accordingly

What doc or what test suggested that the neck pain was not from Lyme disease ? I would focus more on that. If your contention is that it is not from Lyme disease.....likening the pain of Lyme to cancer pain and talking about how Lyme is not "supposed to" respond well to opiods all confuses the matter to me. You don't want them thinking you are grasping at straws. We want to keep the focus on having them figure out what is causing the neck pain and treat that.

Regarding the fear of them thinking we are all drug seekers.......I don't think there is anyone here who can not empathize on that issue ! I would add any facts about other treatments that you are doing to try to help with that....ie: heat, ice, massage, OTC creams, accupuncture, etc. I have gotten some relief from a tens unit and cervical traction unit. Have either options been offered to you ? How about PT or chiro ? I haven't found any of these to be cures, but they each help a little. My problem is .....the cervical traction unit helps when I use it, but I can not be laying down on the floor in it when I drive the kids to school, etc.

Good luck Glenn !